BBC’s top stars including Gary Lineker and Zoe Ball have pay slashed after agreement

Gary agreed to take a voluntary pay cut last year (Picture: Rex)

The BBC’s annual report is set to show a 10% pay cut for top talent after best paid stars including Gary Lineker and Zoe Ball agreed to reduced pay.

The reduction will be made clear as part of the broadcaster’s report set to be published on Tuesday, which will also show the BBC has ‘made a difference to the public during this challenging period’.

The BBC is obligated to publish the names of people earning more than £150,000 per year, but pay packets made through the broadcaster’s commercial arm, BBC Studios, are not revealed.

It comes after Gary had agreed to a pay cut in 2020, which would have resulted in Zoe Ball becoming the BBC’s top earner if her pay remained unchanged. 

The Match of the Day presenter signed a new five-year contract with the broadcaster, agreeing to cut his pay by 23% from £1.75 million to around £1.35 million.

Zoe Ball is one of the BBC’s highest earners (Picture: BBC)

A BBC source said: ‘Everyone knows that the last year in lockdown has been a challenge for everyone.

‘The BBC will be releasing a report that shows we have made a difference to the public during this challenging period. While doing that, the BBC has also been reforming at pace.’

The broadcaster is revealing its annual report today (Picture: PA)

They added: ‘The report will feature a range of measures that show real and tangible progress. For example, our pay bill for top talent is down by 10%. This is not an isolated figure, but one of a range of other stats that demonstrate we are on the right path.

‘None of this means the BBC is complacent. We have to continue to work hard to deliver for the public. That is where we are investing all our efforts’.

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It comes after the BBC defended its new logo design after reportedly spending ‘thousands of pounds’ on it – with critics saying it looks exactly the same as the old one.

According to reports, taxpayers’ money was used to design the changes to the famous BBC blocks. However, the BBC denies that the cost was ‘significant’.

Metro.co.uk has reached out to the BBC for comment.

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